Abstract
This study uncovers the morphosyntactic properties of yabai and its clipped forms. It aims to arrive at an understanding of how the forms and the meanings might be associated. A lexical-pragmatic-based analysis was carried out using Twitter and speech corpus data. The findings reveal the following picture of the lexeme: (a) when yabai undertakes an adjective role, modifying a noun, it is likely that a negative evaluation is invited. In this regard, yabai fulfils a lexical function. (b) The adverb use of yabai presents two variations: modifying a verb or modifying an i-adjective. At any rate, the adverb use describes the degree of an event or an object, leading to the assumption that yabai fulfils a grammatical function.(c) The predicate function presents the following diversities: the negative-denotation yabai and yabee are lexical items; the positive/neutral-denotation yabai, yabee and yaba are grammatical items. The clipped forms, i.e. yaba; yabee and yabe are limited to interjection use and adverb use, which are signs of complete grammaticalisation. A quantitative analysis via KH Coder suggests that yabai’s adverb function appears to be limited to women friendships, with parent-child relationship and vertical relationship being ruled out.
Highlights
Language is constantly changing in meaning and in form
The findings reveal the following picture of the lexeme: (a) when yabai undertakes an adjective role, modifying a noun, it is likely that a negative evaluation is invited
Syntactic and semantic evidence given above, that the diverse parts of speech and semantic meanings split into two categories: (a) a grammatical function is applied to the interjection, positive/neutral-denotation predicate, adverb and na-adjective functions; and (b) a lexical function is fulfilled by a negative-denotation predicate and adjective that modifies a noun
Summary
Language is constantly changing in meaning and in form (morphology). The extension of semantic meaning, and the derivation of parts of speech, are often tackled via: (a) a diachronic approach, treating the alternation as an outcome of grammaticalisation and lexicalisation (e.g. Traugott and Heine 1991, Givón 1971); or (b) a synchronic approach, addressing the shift from a cognitive semantic perspective. Is an illustration from a Kokkeibon: Tookaidoochuu Hizakurige (1802-1809) It was in the early Showa Period that the na-adjective yabana shifted into being an i-adjective and morphologically altered, becoming the form yabai. The combination of yabai + other parts of speech adjective (predicate) adverb (yabai + verb) adverb (yabaku + verb) adverb (yabai + adjective) adverb + yabai adjective (modifying a noun) yabai + suffix (yabame, yabasoo, yabasa) yabaki + noun Interjection. We noted the following additional results: [yabai + suffix (yabame, yabasoo, yabasa)] (22 tokens); [yabaki + noun] (one token). At this stage, we can pause and draw a map of yabai’s shifts in morphosyntax and phonology
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